Month: May 2016

Latest Headlines

Texas shares jump despite Q1 miss; Papa tests new crunchy crust, and man drives 870 miles for KFC

Latest news, with a special focus on big Louisville employers; updated at 4:29 p.m.

Texas Roadhouse logoTEXAS ROADHOUSE shares surged 4% to $47.33 after hours even though it reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter results (The Street). Press release.

CHURCHILL DOWNS and Levy Restaurants announced a 10-year extension to their current contract today (Courier-Journal).

PAPA JOHN’S is testing a new pan pizza crust at select locations in Kentucky. The new pizza is described by the chain as “pan baked for a thick, crunchy crust,” and should be ready for a national launch this summer (Brand Eating).

UPS: Negotiators for the shipper and the 2,500-member Independent Pilots Association will resume contract talks later this month. Pilots have been working under the terms of their previous contract for five years, and the union late last month set up a strike center here in Louisville (WFPL).

YUM: Inspired by Uber, Pizza Hut is officially launching “Visible Promise Time,” showing what time a pizza will be prepared, ready, and delivered before customers place their order (Business Insider). A Canadian man drove 870 miles to get his wife some KFC (Metro). And U.S. stock index futures were set to be broadly higher this morning amid subdued trading in Asia and Europe and ahead of the key nonfarm payrolls data at the end of the week (CNBC).

Bottom Line

In Louisville, a flood of hotel rooms may not be enough

Led by the mammoth 612-room Omni, eight hotels are in the works for the Louisville area, The Courier-Journal said today, and if completed, they’ll add 1,500 more rooms at a total cost of $850 million. The Omni has started construction, and hopes to open by spring 2018.

But all those additional rooms may not be enough to satisfy demand once the Kentucky International Convention Center expansion is done; the center will close in mid-August for two years.

There are just under 15,000 hotel rooms in Jefferson County, and 18,670 in the metro area, including nearby Kentucky and Indiana counties. But compare that to other metros in the region that compete for convention and other big-meeting business:

  • St. Louis: 38,000
  • Indianapolis: 33,000
  • Cincinnati: 37,700
  • Nashville: 26,600.
Food and Dining

Fried green tomatoesLast night in Fontleroy’s restaurant. Fried green tomatoes: blue crab, roasted corn chow chow, and Comeback sauce. $13.

The restaurant’s Facebook page serves as its website, where it describes itself as a “modern southern kitchen offering our region’s hottest food trends. Local and seasonal offerings paired with original artisan libations.”

Named after Louisville Mayor James Fontleroy Grinstead, the restaurant opened last fall at 2011 Grinstead Drive in the Highlands. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday; breakfast and lunch only on Mondays.

Fontleroy’s is also on Yelp, plus Open Table and TripAdvisor.